Week in Review - Winning a War - But Where Are The Democrats?

By anyone's measurement, even the New York Times, allied forces in Iraq led by heroic American soldiers are winning the war on the ground. Acts of violence against civilians and among various tribal elements is down precipitously. Finally, political reconciliation can begin without the fear of bullets whizzing through the conference room or cars imploding from afar. It will take time but the potential benefits to long-term stability in the regime and defeating Islamic fascism and extremism cannot be diminished or ignored.

Except if you Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her boys Congressman John Larson, Joe Courtney and Chris Murphy. None of them acknowledge it even though all them were all too eager to fan public resentment of earlier defeats and setbacks. None of them will appear and even concede the surge strategy has worked and been sustained. Why is that? Why do you think these defeatists are nowhere to be found when the news is good and our troops are proven to be the true fearless professionals we know them to be?

This week, Courtney wrapped himself in the flag by taking a bow for another Virginia Class Submarine to be added to the fleet and built at Electric Boat. We are all thankful for that, but let's not get too dewy eyed for Courtney. He was handed this sub by Congressman John Murtha, D-PA, and Pelosi to give Courtney a trophy. The hard work was done by you know who and a whole crew of Republicans and Democrats who kept the base open and ready for this opportunity. Give the Democrats credit, they know how to use the power of the purse to buy seats, something the Republican Leaders couldn't grasp when Rob Simmons was making the same arguments a year ago.

Murphy was smug Wednesday when he dismissed a attack by the Connecticut Republican Party about money he allegedly took from Ray Termini, disgraced owner of Haven Health Care Nursing facilities around the country. We goofed by pointing out initially that Murphy had reported close to $12,000 in donations from various Haven Healthcare executives, including Termini when Murphy was a State Senator and Congressman.

Turns out Murphy's people filed an amendment report which erased those donations. Seems they didn't get the checks from those executive which they were all too eager to list on their Federal Election Report. In all our years of politics, we have never heard of anyone putting down a donor without the money in hand - never. It does beg the question - was the money promised? Certainly. And by whom? The Haven executives who parted with their personal information or Ray Termini? And what caused the names to be removed in the amended report? Murphy and his press aide were indignant.

We think Chris Murphy doth protest too much.

And Congressman Larson? Well, he told the Bristol Chamber of Commerce that we needed to "strategically" end the war in Iraq - whatever that means. It is sad and frightening to note, that John Larson was once a high school history teacher. He then told the business group that the war in Iraq was longer than World War II, while noting that the U.S. won the Cold War without firing a shot. It is nice to know that Larson has his idiotic talking points down.